We live in a world of modern technology where media is the most powerful organisation in any country.
It can spread news in seconds across the global by using the latest technology. Media is a tool needed by every nation. Free speech, free press and free society are the pillars of any democratic country.
Media can be described as a watch dog between citizens of country and the government. It delivers good services to any community of any nation, but in our young nation some of the media seems unprofessional and there is a huge media manipulation which crosses its limits.
It is clear that some of the media in Somaliland has become a business and spreads individual issues rather than national issues. If it spreads false news then, it can destroy and create mistrust among the society at sometime can endanger the national security, on top of that it can have a bad impact to the whole nation.
What most media wants is a controversy. It just wants to publish a hot story that it can sell, because hot story is what most people want even, to the point of exaggerating the report is a key to get higher ratings. What media care about is mostly ratings and about viewers and that is why it turns into propaganda.
Of course, our people have every right to stand up, speak up and point out any government wrongdoings if it does exist, but media can only transmit something which is based on truth and on reliable resources, at sometime opposition parties can keep an eye to the government and deliver the government the voices of voiceless who have concerns and issues that needs to be addressed, otherwise the voices of the voiceless will be forgotten, unheard and trampled upon.
If it is done, then it will build the confidence of the people and will reassure them that their voices and concerns are met.
What happens if there are any government failures? The opposition can address that issue straight away, but their criticism must be constructive and not destructive. It is better to do something positive to correct the failures rather than causing unrest situation in the country, at same time causing something which is threat to the national security as a whole.
Today it is clear that there are some so called media specially websites controlled by only very few unprofessional individuals who uses them for their individual issues. As we have seen there are some media in Somaliland who supports one particular political party or individuals who are in that party. What they do is, they praise that political party or politician into heaven if that political party does not meet their individual needs, they start to bury that political party or politician into the ground and eat their flesh on the air.
It is a common practice used by individualist who are very clever enough and know the power of language to manipulate and doesn’t care about the consequences that it may have in the future.
Sometimes media is used for political campaigning, so they keep their individual interest.
This young nation of Somaliland needs to have a healthy and reliable media that do not exaggerate the current situation in the country and safeguard for the common interest of the nation.
Political parties must be constructive, but not destructive and the government must listen to the public and the public must comply with the law of the country. There is a big problem which most of African nations have in common specially those who speak Somali language and that is, we are a people who every one of us wants to get involved politics and this a common practice to our societies.
The bottom line is that any action that jeopardizes the national unity and territorial integrity must be punishable under the law of the country
The media is supposed to bring the communities together. It must play a great role for the country’s development at least to use reliable resources and gain more knowledge about their fields which most of them lack.
The government, political parties, the media and as a whole nation, we need to unite for the sake of the common interest of this young nation which has lots of work ahead.
So far, a lot has been achieved and done, and more needs to be done. There are always lots of things we can be grateful for. It is time for unity. Let’s become one hand and work as one.
Of course, we can have different view points and belong different political parties, but we share common interest. We need to accept one another regardless of our political parties. We are one, have common goal, and share Somaliland.
Let’s prioritise our country’s interest. By doing this, we will be able to move forward and achieve the impossible.
Together we are strong, divided we are weak. Let’s move our young nation forward.
Omer Mohamed Jama
Bristol UK
Omj12@hotmail.co.uk